Strewth, the first big one is nearly here

Melbourne has always been the odd fish amongst the four grand slam tennis tournaments

Roger Federer winning the men's singles final in Melbourne last year. Pic: Getty

Having just put a chaotic but brilliant year for sport to bed, the first big one of the year is almost upon us. The 2019 Australian Open starts in little over a week and it’s not terribly clear what, if anything, it’s going to mean for the season to come.

Melbourne’s always been the odd fish amongst the four grand slam tournaments. Being in January, it’s wildly out of season with all of ...